U.S. News rates UND College of Business & Public Administration's online programs among the country's bestPosted on 1/24/2014

U.S. News and World Report this month released its third annual rating of the country's best online programs, placing the University of North Dakota College of Business & Public Administration (CoBPA) squarely in the top 50 of nearly 1,000 schools that competed in the magazine's distance and online education survey.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, an increasing number of students nationwide are opting to do some or all of their education in distance and online programs. That trend is reflected in the U.S. News questionnaire for its online education ranking this year: 1,000 distance/online education programs submitted a completed questionnaire during the summer of 2013, up from 860 programs the previous year. Only degree-granting programs offering courses entirely online were considered, according to the magazine. The rankings are the only ones published that compare data of online degree programs rather than the schools that offer them.

For the first time this year, the rankings included peer review data based on schools' evaluations of each other. The new rankings also give greater weight to one-year retention rates, graduation rates and required time to graduate, the magazine said in a story published with the rankings. CoBPA's online programs were rated among the country's top 50.

"UND's College of Business & Public Administration offers quality online business curricula with distinguished faculty members," said Thomas DiLorenzo, UND provost and vice president for academic affairs. "The College has been offering distance education for over 20 years consistently incorporating new technologies. UND 's distance students receive the same strong student services and technology support as the on-campus students."

DiLorenzo believes that the demand for online learning will continue to increase as students seek flexible, quality education.

"UND will continue to offer exceptional, innovative programs meeting the needs of distance students," he said.

CoBPA Dean Dennis Elbert says the college provides excellent graduate level programs through the support of exceptional faculty and staff and passionate students.

"We are proud to receive this national recognition supporting our continued efforts to advance graduate level education," said Elbert. "Through our hybrid delivery method we are able to combine distance students and local students in the same classroom, creating an enhanced learning environment."

About the UND College of Business & Public Administration

The University of North Dakota College of Business and Public Administration is dedicated to preparing students to become the next generation of business and public leaders. Professional education for students majoring in business or public administration includes a core of arts, sciences and humanities; a common body of knowledge in business and government, gained from courses in the field; and a group of specialized courses which provide a greater depth of understanding in a targeted area related to business or public administration/political science.